Barry Trotz admits it: tax-free state teams are at an advantage

Generally speaking, hockey fans agree that the Florida Panthers deserved their Stanley Cup, as they had one of the best teams in the entire National Hockey League.

Of course, many would have preferred to see the Edmonton Oilers, a Canadian team, win the Cup, but in the end, you can’t take anything away from the Panthers, who played some excellent hockey.

Throughout the season and the playoffs, the Panthers were excellent, and they came through in the final against the Oilers, winning Game 7.

It was a decisive game that could have gone either way, and they prevailed, so hats off to the Panthers for the first Stanley Cup in their history.

The only snag hockey fans often see with this Panthers victory is that they play in Florida, one of the only states where there are no taxes.

It’s a hot topic in the NHL right now, with many wondering if it’s an advantage for these teams to play in tax-free states.

After all, Florida has been represented in the Stanley Cup Final for the last five seasons, while no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

In short, is it worth playing in a tax-free state to build a competitive NHL team?

Well, according to Barry Trotz, general manager of the Nashville Predators, it’s clearly an advantage.

“It’s definitely an advantage.”

No Cup at since 1993; a Florida team in the final the last five years. https://t.co/lO04NFZTTU

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) July 13, 2024

Indeed, Preds’ GM says your dollar is a little more valuable, and therefore allows you more things, when you use it in a tax-free state.

“Your dollar goes a little bit farther” – Barry Trotz

In any case, that’s a very honest statement for a GM who himself benefits from the fact that his team is located in a tax-free state.

Indeed, the Nashville Predators, who play in the state of Tennessee, represent one of the six teams that play in a tax-free state.

The other five are, of course, the two Florida teams, the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as three other Western teams: the Dallas Stars, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken.

Two of these six teams are the two most recent expansion franchises.

It’s easy to see why Gary Bettman continues to prefer American markets to, say, Quebec City.

In short, it’s an advantage for these teams to play in a tax-free state, but according to Barry Trotz, it’s especially an advantage with second- or third-rate players.

In his opinion, taxation isn’t entirely the reason why Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, among others, decided to sign with the Preds.

“These guys are winners. They just want to go to teams that are serious about winning. The advantage really shows with, let’s say, second- or third-rate players.” – Barry Trotz

In short, let’s see in the coming years if these advantaged teams will continue to be among the most competitive in the National Hockey League.

To find out more, click here to read TVA Sports’ article on the subject.

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